Convection type electrical heating device



NMR, 2, 948. R, B. SHANNON 2,452,875

CQNVECTION TYPE ELECTRICAL HEATING DEVICE IN1/EN R.

Nov.' 2, 1948. R. B. SHANNON CONVECTION TYPE ELECTRICAL HEATING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 7, 1945 v:sa

INVENTOR @BERT Mmmm@ ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 2, 1.9.48-

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CONVECTION TYPE ELECTRICALl HEATING DEVICE 6 Claims.

This invention relates to electric heatersv and Vin particular relates. to convection type, electric member extended therethrough. wherein the vanes are adapted to have maximum eiective. surface contact with the heating member and yet which may be economically produced by relatively simple stamping or forming procedure.

Another object of the invention is to provide.

a heating device of the character described having a minimum of parts, and which is simple, and easy to assemble or to take apart for repairs.

Another object of the invention is to provide a heating unit of the character described, having improved heat-conducting vanes therein which make possible the use of a relatively at, thin heating member for eiectively heating the vanes, whereby is made possible the provision of a maximum amount of heat as compared with the relatively small compact size of the unit.

Still another object oi the invention is to provide a heating unit of the character described wherein the vanes are effectively bolted together in positive spaced relation without the use ofV separate spacing means.

These and other objects of the invention will be manifest from the following brief description and the accompanying drawings.

Of the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly broken. away and in section, illustrating a convection type oi heater embodying the invention.

Figure 2 is a perspective View, partly broken` away and in section, illustrating the manner of assembling the heat-conducting vanes in the unit.

Figure 3 is a cross-section taken substantially on the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a perspective view showingl a at electrical heating member of the type utilized in the heater of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a perspective View illustrating a modified form of heat conducting vane embodying the invention.

Figure 6 is a side elevation, partly broken away and in section, illustrating a plurality of the vanes ofFigure 5 assembled on a strip type electrical heating member.

Referring particularly to Figures l, 2 and 3 of the drawings, the numeral lil designates a convection type heating unit, the same including a plurality of separate vanes Il, Il of high heat,- conducting material, such as copper. The vanes may be clamped or secured in longitudinally spaced relation between supporting plates I2 and I3 at opposite ends of the unit, as by means of spaced bolts I4 and l5 extending through aligned apertures in the supporting platesl and the Yanes. Av suitable reticulated cover (not shown) may be provided over.V the unit for decorative or other purposes.

As best. shown in Figures, 2 and 3 each valle. I l may be formed of` a. rectangular blank, oi copper o r other thin sheeting, toY provide a central.. relatively narrow channel-shaped rib i6, which extends,v from edge to,v edge transversely of the. sheet. The rib I6, preferably is rectangular in cross-section to define spaced parallel side; pore` tions l1 and laV and a flat Outer connecting web I9., the channel between said side portions opening outwardly at the, ends of the rib. Thus the rib I6 may be formed of any desired depth, and as narrow as required within practical limitations., The, lateral edge portionsy ofthe vane may bc formed in the saine. direction and to the same extent, as, the rib lliy to provide right-angled anges 2l and 2Ia.

unit I0, to retain the same in spaced parallel relation` in the manner illustrated'.

Blanked or cut in the web. i9, of the rib of each vane ll, may be elongated. slots 2,2 of. the samewidth as the space between side portions lland I8 of the rib. These slots are arranged; tobe in alignment in the vane assembly. A relatively thin, nat electrical heating, element, 23, as shown` in Figure 4, isreadily slidable through the aligned apertures 22 of the assembled unit l0, from. one, end thereof, to the position shown` in Figure, 1.` In thisvr position of the heating, member,v it will` have close heat-transferring contact with the side. v portions l'l and i8, of the ribs I6, over an` area commensurate with twice an area defined by the length of a slot multiplied by approximately the length of the heater unit l0. A suitable electrical connector block 2.4 is secured to supporting plate i3 for connecting the heating member 23, with a source. of electrical current means of cable 25.

Apertures 25 and 21;v are provided in the webs I9 adjacent Opposite ends of the rib la; of each vane, for receiving the bolts I4 and l5 for clamping the vanes. together in unit l0 as previously described. The rib maybe enlarged or widened at the. points Where the apertures 2B and 2l are.v provided to permit, use of bolts of desired rele.. tively large size. TheSe enlargements, designated by numerals 25a and 2in, are also utilized to; form squared shoulders 2.517, 2lb which provide positive vane-spacing means around. the clamps. ing bolts.

In the operation of the heater just described, heat is transferred froml the electrical heatingv member 2,3A t0 the side portions Iii' and i8- of the vane ribs. l5, this: heat being ccnductedthreugh the vanes and being radiated from the. broad iiat surfaces at opposite sides thereof. Air Within Both the ribs and anges. are adapted, when the vanes arel assembled in the space between the vanes is thus effectively heated and conveyed upwardly by convective action through the open upper ends of the passageways defined by the spaced vanes and the side anges 2l thereof, the heated air (or other fluid medium) thus being continuously replaced by cold air drawn through the bottom openings of said passageways. Because the present construction of the vanes makes possible the use of a relatively thin, flat electrical heatingmember 23, it is possible to obtain maximum heating capacity with the use of a relatively small heater unit.

In the modified form of the invention shown in Figures 5 and 6 a strip type of electrical heating member 28 is provided with a relatively stiff or rigid' outer casing of copper or like material. Vanes lla, Ila (Figure 5) are formed like the vanes l l, except that the apertures 2B and 2l are omitted, like parts otherwisel being given like numerals. Because of the relative rigidity of heating member 28, when it is inserted through the elongated slots 22 of ribs i6 of the vanes, to assemble the latter thereon, the vanes are readily retained in this assembled relation until complete assembly of the heater device can be accomplished.

Other modications of the invention may be resorted to without departing from the spirit thereof or the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. An electrical heating device comprising a unit including a plurality of separate vanes, each of said vanes being formed of heat-conducting sheet material to provide a channel-shaped rib extending completely across the vane and defining an open-ended groove, said ribs of the vanes being slotted along the outer web portion thereof, means for securing said vanes in spaced relation with said slots in alignment, and an elongated electrical heating element received through said slots of said ribs.

2. An electrical heating device comprising a unit including a pluarality of vanes, each of said vanes being formed of heat-conducting sheet material to provide a channel-shaped rib intermediate opposite lateral edges thereof and extending from edge to edge transversely of the vane and defining an open-ended groove, said ribs each including parallel side portions and an outer connecting web portion, cooperating slots extending longitudinally in said web portions of the ribs, means for securing said vanes in spaced relation with said slots in alignment, and an elongated electrical heating element received through said cooperating slots of said ribs and engaging between said parallel side portions of the ribs.

3. An electrical heating device comprising ay unit including a plurality of separate vanes arranged in longitudinally spaced parallel relation, supporting members at opposite ends of said unit, each of said vanes being formed ofheat-conducting sheet material to provide a channelshaped rib intermediate opposite lateral edges thereof and extending from edge to `edge transversely of the vane and defining an open-ended groove, said ribs each including parallel side portions and an outer connecting web portion, cooperating slots extending longitudinally in said web portions of the ribs, said rib of each vane being engageable with an adjacent vane for retaining the vanes in spaced parallel relation ink the unit withfsaid slots in alignment, means for clamping said spaced vanes between said supd porting members, and an elongated electrical heating element received through said cooperating slots of the ribs and engaging between said parallel side portions of the ribs.

fl. An electrical heating device comprising a yunit including a plurality of separate vanes arextending longitudinally in said web portions of the ribs, said rib of each tane being engegeable with an adjacent vane for retaining the vanes in spaced parallel relation in the unit with said slots in alignment, means for clamping said spaced vanes between said supporting members, and an elongated electrical heating element received through said cooperating slots cf the ribs and engaging between said parallel side portions of the ribs, said vanes being formed at said lateral edges thereof with flanges extending angularly to a distance approximating the spaces between the vanes.

5. An electrical heating device comprising a unit including a plurality of vanes, each of said vanes being formed of heat-conducting sheet material to provide a channel-shaped rib intermediate opposite lateral edges thereof and eX- tending from edge to edge transversely of the vane and dening an open-ended groove, said ribs each including parallel side portions and an outer connecting web portion, aligned slots in said web portions of the ribs, and an elongated relatively still:` electrical heating element received through said aligned slots of said ribs, said heating member frictionally engaging the edges of said slots and said parallel sides of said ribs, whereby said vanes are retained together in a unit.

6. An electrical heating device comprising a unit includlng a plurality of vanes, each of said vanes being formed of heat-conducting sheet material to provide a channel-shaped rib intermediate opposite lateral edges thereof and eX- tending from edge to edge transversely of the vane and dening an open-ended groove, said ribs each including parallel side portions and a at outer connecting web portion, aligned slots in said web portions of the ribs, spaced cooperating apertures in said web portions of the ribs, elongated attaching elements engageable through said cooperating apertures for securing the vanes in spaced parallel relation and an elongated electrical heating element received through said cooperating slots of said ribs and engaging between said parallel side portions of the ribs.

ROBERT B. SHANNON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNXTED STATES EATENTS 

